Fireworks

         "So are we going to do our usual 'eat like man-sters' or are we going to go half-speed and hit the Neptune diner on the way back?"  Mikey Juice was soliciting me and the Sherry brothers for input as we drove up the BQE from my house in Brooklyn.  It was an important decision, and it needed to be made early, because if you're going to pace yourself, you have to know before you get to the shish-kebab lady on River Avenue.  If the decision isn't made at that point, you can expect that at least two guys are going to be walking up to the Stadium already a shish-kebab deep.  The ultimate decision was to forgo the Neptune diner post-game and drop the hammer at the concessions.  A wise choice, as it turned out.  Although in truth I knew the odds of anybody pacing themselves were always long.  Especially since the Big Boy was meeting us there, and there was no way he was going to go light on the snacks in order to pursue some pipe dream of mozzarella cheese fries at midnight.  Which, as the game ultimately dictated, was when we would have ended up there.

            We were running a bit late, so we heard the Abreu and Allie bombs in the car.  Mike Sherry was brooding all the way into the Stadium, because John Sterling couldn't stop gushing about the majesty of Allie's bomb.  As usual, I couldn't care less about seeing the bombs, as long as they were winning.  As we approached the Stadium, we could hear John Sterling on the loudspeakers saying that the Red Sox had loaded the bases with nobody out.  "I wonder if this is going to be a slugfest," I wondered aloud, piquing Mike Sherry's interest.  And I dare say that's what we got.

            I'll caveat this a thousand different ways, but the Yankees sneakily crept up into a tie for first tonight.  Not a great shocker, as they were probably supposed to win this pitching matchup, but a sort-of shocker, considering they were still, as of yesterday's BPS, at or near the bottom of just about every meaningful offensive category.  Doesn't mean it will last, as for now, as I've said, the schedule will dictate to a large extent where everybody sits in the standings.  But it did tell us a few things, I think.  First, a friendly reminder from the Yankees that they are still the Yankees and the Red Sox are still the Red Sox.  The rest of the world can hope and wish that the Red Sox are the new Yankees, but sometimes reality gets in the way.  The Red Sox fought valiantly for a while, like the little guy who puts up a good fistfight in the street, only to get the beating a little worse in the end because of it.  But ultimately, the Yankees served notice: never forget who we are or what we can do to you.  I think we also got a reminder that there will probably never be a pitcher who can come in and be unhittable in this rivalry.  I don't care how good you are, you will get pounded at some point, and no one will be automatic.  Pedro learned that lesson cold, as have Beckett, Pettitte, Cone, Wells, and Schilling.  Red Sox fans, I think, had unrealistic expectations for Papelbon to be that guy last year, until Allie wiped the silly stare right off of his puffy face one drizzly night in Fenway.  Yankees fans probably have similarly unrealistic expectations for Joba.  Much was made of Okajima last year when he came in during the first series and shut the Yanks down, until the Yanks basically made him their punching bag late in the year.  And he was last seen getting yanked in Fenway last weekend in the eighth with two on for Papelbon to pitch to Allie.  Even the great Mariano Rivera has been no gimme against the Sox.  That's just how it goes.  So now Hughes and Bucholz have both gotten their brains beat in.  Call it initiation.   

            Great night.  Not a lot else to say.  I was surprised that Tim McClelland, a veteran umpire took so much jawing from the Sox on balls and strike calls.  I guess that's to his credit, but by taking Manny's finger wagging in his face, he only encouraged the always-whiny Varitek to jaw at him too. 

The Yankee bats came alive, but the most encouraging thing was that they came alive when it was necessary that they come alive.  They needed every run up until the eighth.  It wasn't just a pile-on-the-sacrificial-lamb night.  The Yankees did what they needed to do to win.  Nice to see.  You certainly can't argue the Red Sox tenacity, as they touched Wang and Ohlendorf for five consecutive hits in the fifth; seven total in the inning.  It was impressive, I have to admit. 

            I think Timlin was wearing a t-shirt under his uniform tonight that said, "Property of Jason Giambi," but I'm not quite sure.

            So we stepped up and closed the deal in section 24 tonight.  Brian Rumble and Peyron were also at the game, and collectively we brought home our first win of 2008.  We are on the Yankees.com highlights when Giambi hit his double towards Manny, but if anyone was was watching the YES telecast (or ESPN telecast), we were right next to the Ferocious Lion when he made the catch right next to the wall.  I was wearing a white sweatshirt.

            And for the record, we did not go to the Neptune diner after the game.  But we did stop in at the Dunkin Donuts on 31^st Street in Astoria.  A strawberry donut, a blueberry donut, and a bag of munchkins did the trick. 

            Great night, boys.

            Great night....